Combination folding crib and play pen



`uly 24, 1951 F. L. REX

COMBINATION FOLDING CRIBAND PLAY PEN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 5, 1948INVENToR. mez-J 65x Patented July 24, 1951 COMBINATION FOLDING CRIB ANDPLAY PEN Frances L. Rex, Richmond, Va. Application May 3, 1948,` SerialNo. 24,846

4 Claims.

My invention relates to that class of combination folding cribs and playpens in which the mattress and mattress support are so connected to thecrib-frame as to be capable of being folded with the latter into acompact form.

Heretofore, it has been necessary to take out the mattress and mattresssupport to fold the crib, or if the mattress support was left in,.it hadto be folded upon itself in some manner, thereby increasing the bulk ofthe crib when folded as well as rendering the operation of folding thecrib laborious and time-consuming.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a combination crib andplay pen easily and economically manufactured, having a solid floor forthe pen which serves as the support for the mattress, and requiring nosprings when used for a bed. The solid floor and the mattress do nothave to be folded upon themselves or removed from the crib, therebyreducing the bulk of the crib in storage, thus lessening the danger oflosing or soiling the mattress, and reducing to a minimum the number ofparts handled, simplifying the operation of folding and saving foldingand storing time and space.

Another object of lmy invention is to provide a crib and play pen vthatwill also be easy to transport across rugs, up and down stairs, etc.This I accomplish by providing sled runners or skis at the lower ends ofthe legs of the crib, on which the crib can be slid along, thus makinglifting and carrying unnecessary.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, reference is hadto the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved baby crib and play pen as itappears when ready for folding, with the mattress and floor board in avertical position, lying against one of the side frames;

Fig. 2` is a plan view of same, with the end partly folded;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation, showing the floor board and mattress in thehorizontal position which they occupy when the device is used as a crib;

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on an enlarged scale, `showingthe mattress in the same position as in Fig. 3, parts being broken away;

Fig. 4a is a fragmentary vertical section, `similar to Fig. 4, butshowing the mattress in the position it occupies when `the device isyused as a play pen.;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale showing a clip used tohold the end frames in normal operative position.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the mattress showing thestrap attached thereto;

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing a slightly different construction ofstrap; and

Fig. 8 is afragmentary perspective view on an enlarged scale showing oneof the upper corners of the device with the parts in the positionillustrated in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, my improved crib and `play pen ismade up of two side frames and two end frames, as usual. The side framescomprise corner posts la and Ib, the corner posts of each side framebeing connected by top rails I and bottom rails 9 and 9a.

Each end frame comprises top and bottom rails 2, each of these beingformed of two sections hinged together at 3 and hinged to the respectivecorner posts at 3a. Thus the end frames can be folded inwardly, asindicated in Fig. 2, so that the side frames can be moved toward eachother into close parallel relation `when desired, all as well known inthe art.

To hold the end rails rigidly in place when the crib is in use, Iprovide removable, channel shaped `clips Il, adapted to fit over therails adjacent the hinges 3, one side of the clip being cut away as atIla in Fig. 5, to accommodate the pintle of the hinge.

By reference to Figs. 1, 4 and 8, it will be particularly observed thatthe `posts la are wider than the posts Ib, and that the bottom rail 9 ismuch wider than the top rail l lying immediately above it, such top railbeing joined to the posts laat points adjacent the outer edges thereof.i I provide a mattress support 5 in the nature of a `rigid floor board.This is hinged at one edge to the inner edge of the bottom rail 9, asshown at 6 in Fig. 1, and the opposite edge rests upon and is supportedby the other bottom rail 9a.

Normally resting upon this floor board when the device is used as acrib, is a mattress 1, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. In order to hold thismattress in position, I secure to the lower side thereof a pair offlexible straps 8, each preferably extending entirely across themattress adjacent one end thereof, as shown in Fig. 6, the ends of thisstrap projecting beyond the side edges of the mattress and the endsadjacent one side edge being formed with suitable openings or buttonholes.

The ends of the straps projecting beyond the other side edge are broughtaround the wide bottom rail 9 and permanently secured to the lower sidethereof as by tacking, as shown at 8b, in Fig. 4. These strap endsconstitute hinges about which the mattress may be swung upwardly, asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. l When the mattress is in normalhorizontal position, as shown in Fig. 4, the strap ends opposite suchhinges are passed around the bottom rail 9a, and the buttonV holestherein engaged over studs 8a, set into the lower sid-e of said rail.These serve to hold `the mattress in position, when the device is usedas a crib.

When it is desired to use the device as a play pen, the strap ends aredisengaged from the studs 8a and the mattress is swung upwardly, asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3, into the vertical position shown inFig. 4a, thusl exposing the floor board 5. When in the vertical positionshown in Fig. 4c., it will be seen that the mattress lies 'mattressinthis vertical position, the strap ends having the openings are passedover the-top rail and engaged with studs Ic, set into the outer side ofsaid top rail, as clearly shown in Fig. 4a. v

`Instead of asingle strap 8, extending entirely across the mattress, asshown in Fig. 6, I may employ two shorter straps 8', as shown in Fig. 7,one being secured adjacent eac'h edge of the mattress.V l

When it is desired to iold theend frames inwardly Aand move the sideframes close together, for storage or transportation purposeslboth themattress and the iioor board are swung up to vertical position-with theioor board lying closely against the mattress, as shown in Figs. 1 and8. To maintain-the parts in this position, straps I0 are providedsecured to the-bottom side of the ioor board, and formed with,- holesoropenings adj acenttheir ends, and thesefarepassed over'the topy rail,as shown in Fig. 1, and the openings engaged with the sameV studs llcwhich hold'the mattresslstraps. v f v When the floor board is in normalposition, these straps I0 may be hooked back out of the way.. byengaging them with other studs Illa, set into" the lower side of theivioor board, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. v I.

In order to facilitate moving the crib about, I attach runners 4 to `thelower ends of the posts of each side frame, which runners are formedwith curved ends, as shownin Fig. 1. By reason of these runners, thecrib, may readily slide' over rugs, or up and down steps, thus enablingit to be moved without lifting. When the crib is folded: or collapsed,theserunners fare brought close together, `and provide a long, narrowbase, thus renderinghandling exceptionally easy.

What I claim is 1. A baby crib, comprisingside and end'irames,`

said side frames each having top and bottom rails, a mattress supportcarried by said bottom side rails, and a mattressy hingedly connectedatone edge to the bottom rail of one of said side frames,`v

so thatvit may be swung upwardly from said support into averticalposition in which it lies against the inside of said side frame,the width of the mattress being substantially equal to the distancebetween said top and bottom side rails,

and means forV securing the upper edge of the.

mattress directly to the toprail of the side framer against which itlies, to fhold it in vertical position. 2. l,A baby 4crib comprisingside and end frames,

each of said side iframes having top and bottom rails, a mattresssupport carried by said bottom railsfand a mattress normally resting onsaid support, strap means secured to the lower side of said mattressadjacent said support and extend ing vbeyond the side edges thereof,said extending.

strap, means at one edge being attached to the bottom rail of one ofsaid side frames and con-y stituting ,a hinged connection, and saidextending strap means at the other edge having a button hole, a studcarried by the opposite bottom rail,

said button hole adapted to engage over said stud to normally hold-themattress in position on said support, and a second stud carried by thetop rail 4'of the side frame to which said mattress is hinged and alsoadapted to be engaged by said button I hole, the width of said mattressbeing substantially equal to the height of said side frames, whereby,when said strap means is disengaged fromsaid first mentioned stud, themattress may be swung upwardly about said hinged connection into-avertical position in which it lies against the inside of the side frameto which it is hinged, and whereby it may be retained in such positionbyengaging said strap means with the stud carried by said top rail.

3. A combined baby crib and play pen comprising a pair of side frames,each having top and bottom rails, and a pair of end frames connectingsaid side frames and each havingl two sections hinged to each other andto the respective side frames, whereby the end frames may be folded andthe side frames brought together in close parallel relation, a rigidfloor board supported by said side frames, a mattress normally restingon saidiioor board, said mattress and said floor board being separatelyhingedly connected at one edgeto the bottom rail of the same side frame,whereby said mattress may bev swung independently of said floor boardfrom normal horizontal position into a vertical position in which itlies against the inside of said side frame, and means for retaining saidmattress in such vertical position so that the device is then capable ofserving as a play pen, the arrangement being such that said oor board,when desired, may also be swung upwardly into a vertical position inwhich it lies against said mattress, and in which the said end framesmay be folded and the side frames brought close together, with saidmattress and floor boardbetween them.

4. A `combined baby crib and play pen comprising a pair of side framesand a pair of end frames, each of said'side frames having end posts andtop and bottom rails, the end posts and bottom rail of one of ysaid sideframes being r-elatively wide and the top rail relatively narrow anddisposed near the outside edge of said posts, whereby a recess is formedinside of said top rail betweensaid posts, a rigid fioor board supportedon said bottom rails,` and a mattress normally resting on said ioorvboard, 4said mattress being hingedly connected at one edge to said widebottom rail,-

whereby it may be swung upwardly from said oor board into a verticalposition in which it lies against said narrow top rail and lls saidrecess,

" and means for attaching the mattress to said top rail to hold it insaid vertical position, so that the device is then capable of serving asa play pen.

FRANCES L. REX.

` REFERENCES CITED The following -references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATETS

